Once Loved Never Forgotten
by Cookie.and.the.UnicornPrincess
Summary: Andreina. Born with Templar and Assassin blood coursing through her veins, she is left hanging in limbo, confused, with no sense of belonging. Alone. Until she finds the agonising truth upon her mother's death, a name, Mario Auditore.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Once Loved Never Forgotten**

**Hello, Cookie here and this is the first chapter of my fan fiction story and also mine and Unicorn Princess' account. Yay! Many thanks to Unicorn Princess for helping me by editing and improving this chapter, all reviews and tips are welcome, enjoy!**

**Summary: Andreina, she was never meant to be. Born with Templar and Assassin blood coursing through her veins, she is left hanging in limbo, confused, with no sense of belonging... alone. Until she finds the agonising truth upon her mother's death, a name, Mario Auditore, the father who had abandoned her. **

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><p><em>Prologue<em>

Elnora was the most beautiful woman he had ever set his eyes upon. The first and the very last woman he would ever truly love.

_1454_

He was walking through the streets of Florence, after riding there with his brother, Giovanni.

'Do not worry brother; I am not returning to Monteriggioni until the morning, I will meet you at the villa but first I want to see the _sights _Firenze has to offer.' Mario said with cheeky implication, Giovanni chuckling and waving him off as he left to venture out into the city of Florence.

There he saw her, the deep sea green eyes with the dark cascading of curly hair. She was browsing through the market stalls. It didn't take him long to finally take the courage to talk to her and court her with his generosity through purchasing an emerald necklace.

'Thank you, signore may we meet again.' She had said, gazing upon him through her thick enticing lashes as the sun sank into the horizon.

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><p><em>1478<em>

Mario's heart was heavy. He had told her he was but a banker like his brother. He was afraid that she would fear him, if he told her the truth, if he confessed his life as an assassin, but it was too late now. It seems she had a secret of her own.

He was to meet her in the countryside outside the walls of Florence; where they had met in many occasions for

the past few years. He stood a few meters away from the carriage waiting for her to open the door. She jolted it open, exiting hastily; lifting her dress as if in a hurry and ran towards him.

Happiness shone through her smile. But a look of guilt was held in her eyes, 'Oh Mario! I have missed you for the past few weeks, where were you?'

'I'm sorry, business and contracts had occupied me in Venezia,' He had lied, another lie to add to his heavy heart, 'Wait... Elnora... I need to-' Mario stumbled to let the words be spoken, 'I must confess something and you must tell me the truth in return.' He lowered his head. His tongue was caught up, he glanced back up into her seemingly innocent eyes, looking hopeful, yet strangely as if masking a layer of pain. He took a deep breath and finally, 'I have been in Venezia a long time, fulfilling contracts not in relation to banking,' Mario sighed, sadness filling his eyes, 'I am not a mere banker Elnora, I am an assassin, and today I received a contract to assassinate yo-'

'Me. I am a templar.' She exhaled as if a wall of waves came crashing down upon her chest, 'Mario, I have known for two weeks, since you had left. My family has fled the country upon hearing of the assassinations of Templar families in Venezia this past week. I refused. I wanted to stay... I needed to tell you tha-'

'I'm sorry_ il mio amore_,' he interrupted with anguish held in his eyes and pain in his throat holding the weight of a rock, 'our paths should never have crossed.' He kissed her cheek, knowing that tears were streaming down her face. He held her hand in his, thrusting a scrunched up ball of paper into her delicate hands. He braced himself and let her go abruptly, pushing her away. He turned around and mounted his horse only to gallop into the distance without a mere glance back at her, afraid that he would hesitate to leave.

She stood there, watching him as he rode into the distance, a flood of tears running down her cheeks. Her knees suddenly hit the ground, pain striking every bone in her body, she felt herself choke as she opened the piece of paper he had left her, a cancelled contract that inscribed her family name. Kneeling dishevelled in the dirt, she whispered the words she had meant for his ears, 'I- I am pregnant.'

But the words were instead carried away by the gentle breeze and he would never know.


	2. Chapter 2: Bloodlust

Chapter 2

_1495_

'Mia amore... I am sorry,' Pain shot through Andreina's chest as she heard her mother struggle to utter her words, she shook her head frantically as the tears fell freely down her face. She felt denial like a weight pressing down onto her chest. 'But my time has come,' her mother smiled up at her with strange content. 'I love you, and I will always be right... there.' Elnora uttered, her voice thinning out at the last word as she brought up her hand to rest upon her daughter's heart.

Andreina clutched the frail hand towards her chest, afraid to let go. 'Find him... your fa-' Elnora struggled with her words as she felt her end near, her breath hitching, 'your father, find him. His name is Mario, Mario Auditore.' her mother's eyes soon closed, delicately like a cover of a book that has reached its conclusion. Strong hands clutched her shoulders pulling her away from the now lifeless body lying on the gracious mahogany bed.

'Andreina, this Mario Auditore, I know of him.' Andreina's head shot up, the blur of tears from her eyes soon vanishing at the mention of Cesare. 'He is heartless, to abandon an unborn child! What kind of a father is that?' Cesare raised his voice feigning his concern and anger. 'He left your madre to drown in sorrow. He did not even take a second to think about you.' He stared into her eyes with intensity, 'you must seek vengeance Andreina, for your mother, do not let her death mean nothing, this is all of his doing.'

His words seemed to make sense to her somehow. Even if her mother held a manner of content and peace upon her departure, Andreina believed that this was just a facade in order to put Andreina at ease. She felt a sense of hatred towards a stranger she had never even met, a blame she wanted to realise, someone to blame for her mother's death, the root of her constant heartache, someone who had to pay. And it would be him, Mario Auditore.

The longing to believe Cesare was strong. She had grown up with him since their childhood, she should have felt trust and loyalty, but there was nothing, just an empty space filling up with vengeance, the bloodlust brewing in her chest, the hunger to find this man, her father; to finally seek the reason for his abandonment. She inhaled sharply, brushing the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and finally spoke with determination, 'Where do we start?'


	3. Chapter 3: Tread Carefully

**Hello readers, Cookie here :)**

**I know these past few chapters have been short, but I have only meant them to be that way to find out whether anyone likes where the plot is heading, all in all whether it is worth continuing. So please share your thoughts and review as I would very much appreciate the feedback and I love to read them as it gives me motivation.**

**Many thanks and enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

A beam of eagerness glowed in Cesare's eyes; He slid his firm hands away from her delicate shoulders, turning around as he walked towards the arched windows. His red cape swung behind him, blood red.

'I will help you Andreina... if you help me. There is something I need to do, something that specialises in your acquaintance.' He stared through the window, overlooking the picturesque view of Roma's beautiful architecture.

'It depends what you are asking of me.' Andreina cautiously said, she had to tread carefully, she may have owed the Borgia's for taking her mother in while carrying her as a baby and her allegiance may lie with them, but there's an underlying ruthlessness in the Templar order that even the Borgia's surpassed. She had to be cautious around Cesare; to become associated with him is similar to that of a fool with a death wish. Growing up with him, she has learned many of his malicious ways, cruelty evident even in the treatment of his own sister Lucrezia.

'It is but a simple task, really. My father has gotten into a complicated fight with the Orsini Family, They would be easy to defeat but that annoying fool, Bartolomeo is making it much more difficult.' He turned around, looking at her with convince, at least his best. Andreina was persuading herself to believe a man that was as sly as Cesare, that this was the only way, 'So I need you, such a skilled swordswoman such as yourself to sort this out. It's time to grow out of this ladylike manner, it is not you. You are the woman, filled with vengeance and lust for death. Your Templar training is not to be wasted and should be of use now, am I correct?' He smiled at her, as gently as he could muster.

'I accept. If I do this you must find information about Mario Auditore. Where he lives, what he does, I want to know everything. I will rip everything away from him, like he had done to my mother.' She snarled. A satisfied look gleamed on his face, looking at the weapon that he had created.


	4. Chapter 4: No exceptions

**Hello my beloved readers! Cookie here and this is the fourth chapter, finally! Sorry I had taken so long, life has been keeping me busy.**

**Moving on, Thank you for all the reviews, they have certainly encouraged me to keep on writing. **

**Any reviews, tips, or ideas of what you might think may happen next are welcome,**

**enjoy! :) **

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

_Roma, 1495_

'Bartolomeo is said to be located in the Caserma Di Alviano. I want you to finally shut that atrocious mouth of his, for good. Keep yourself set on Bartolomeo, no exceptions. This is a lone mission; you have all the equipment you acquire. Now go, you have enough information to carry you.' He swiftly turned around, his leather boots clicking harshly on the marble steps of the Castello, each step fading into an echo.

Andreina mounted her horse, galloping away into the crowded city of Roma. Her heart was twisted into stone; she had no one left in this world, no one but her father. Could she kill him? Her own flesh and blood? It was true he would be a mere stranger to her but- No. She shook the doubtful thoughts away, vowing never to let her objective drift again. He would deserve all the misery and anguish she would inflict on him, much the same way he thought her mother had deserved it. She was sure of that.

Her mind was finally put to focus as she arrived at the barracks of Bartolomeo's mercenaries. She slipped off her horse, and silently walked towards the timber gates. She peeked through, mapping out every single detail and every route, in and out.

She was suddenly shaken out of thought as a woman emerged from behind her. She was fair haired and held a beautiful complexion. 'Hello, may I help you?' Her questioning look was mixed with suspiciousness. She kept her distance, two metres away from Andreina, almost as if knowing her intentions.

'Si, I am in need to see Bartolomeo, the man that is known to own this mercenary guild.' Andreina asked, as innocently as she could.

'My name is Pantasilea, I am Bartolomeo's wife and I mainly take care of these barracks, while he is fighting with his men,' she informed, 'What are yo-' Pantasilea was cut off as Andreina swiftly moved forward but Pantasilea quickly turned and ran, but the heavy material of her dress did not allow her to do so as quickly as she wished. Andreina soon caught up with her, tackling her while quickly placing her hand over the screaming mouth of Pantasilea and holding a dagger dangerously close to her neck.

'Be quiet, please, I'm sorry, but all I need is your husband... Dead.' She sensed a pang of guilt hammer into her chest. She glanced at Pantasilea, and then looked away. A reflection of her mother appearing in her place, a widow left to die in desolation.

'_No exceptions'_ Cesare's words brought her back to sense and hauled the woman out of sight. Andreina placed a cloth, which was drenched with a sleeping draught, onto Pantasilea's nose. After a few seconds of writhing, she finally became motionless.

Andreina rubbed her hands together; she pounced onto the wall. After a few unsuccessful jumps, she was finally able to cling onto the slippery edge. She pulled her head up, checking the perimeter, all was silent. She landed gracefully onto the ground, landing as lightly as a feather and crept towards the door; she twisted the copper handle, finding it locked. She sighed while taking out a fine needle and hook. Kneeling down she gently inserted the tools into the small lock, exploring around, twisting and turning and finally, _click, click._

Andreina glided in, treading softly towards the desk that sat in the centre of the room. Shuffling through the drawers, she had come upon a note that perked her attention. It was addressed to Bartolomeo, about the notorious assassin in Firenze; her eyes were caught on the name of the assassin...Ezio Auditore.

His last name was precisely the same as her father's. What if, this man was related to Mario...to herself, she was frightened by the thought. Not only would she be his enemy...but also family. Mario could not be an assassin, it would mean-

'Who are you? What are you doing in my office! Where is Pantasilea?' A boisterous snarl of fury bellowed behind her.


	5. Chapter 5: Anxiety Brewing

**Hello, Cookie here and I've finally made a chapter over 1,000 words! Thank you for informing me that my chapters were really quite short, so I hope this is enough to say sorry. **

**Please review as I would like your thoughts, opinions and ideas on my fanfiction story.**

**Thank you and enjoy! :)**

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

_Roma 1495_

As she slowly turned around, a glinting sword was pointed upon her neck, so dangerously close that it was lightly cutting a mark on her perspiring skin. She glared at the man, his face riddled with scars and wrinkles. 'What is your name?' he bellowed a voice, so deep that it forced a shiver down Andreina's spine. 'Did you not hear me?' His razor-sharp blade, tunnelling deeper into her neck. Andreina shuffled backwards, cornered between the heavy writing table and the deathly sword.

'My-my name is Andreina.' She had broken her identity to a man, a stranger. Her mission was failing, hoping that it wouldn't get any worse, she was proved wrong. 'Why are you creeping around my guild, eh? Come to steal some precious documents, who do you work for?' He hissed.

_His_ guild? Andreina muttered a curse, she had managed to sneak in, and she had managed to find Bartolomeo, but it was _his_ sword threatening to kill her. 'I do not work for anyone. I-I-' she stuttered finding something to say in the restricted time, beads of sweat effortlessly glided down her forehead, 'I am here to search for a man, named Ezio Auditore, do you know of him?'

'Ezio Auditore? The assassin of Firenze... Why would you ask me? I barely know who he is!' He said. As much as he tried to sound convincing, she had proof of the letters, that Ezio was not just a mere stranger to Bartolomeo.

'I know you have met him before, do not lie to me!' She had forgotten all about the sword that was jabbing onto her collarbone. She quickly added, 'I know where Pantasilea is! If you want her to come home safe and sound, you must give me information!' Bartolomeo flinched, the opportunity glowed within the depths of her eyes. She quickly dipped under the sword, twisting it, resulting in a broken hand which made him drop his sword in the process. Andreina kicked the sword away from his reach, while unsheathing her own. She poked her weapon perilously close to his unshaven chin.

'Now tell me before I make your face even uglier than it was!' she snarled. She watched him, his face frozen onto hers. He backed away from the sharp weapon, the sunlight shining onto it; an engraving was just made out. It was a cross, not just any cross it was the Templar's symbol. He knew that Rodrigo and Cesare were never going to let him go so easily after the previous battle if ever he was captured again.

'They sent a woman to kill me!' He walked in small circles, while a sharp weapon followed his throat, 'Argh, I will not tell you anything until I see Pantasilea! I demand that!' Spitting onto Andreina's worn out leather boots. Bartolomeo would have never given up without a fight, but he could not fight a mere young girl, even though her skills of deceit annoyed him very much.

He finally stopped and walked towards the sword, He stared down at her, his Adam's apple hazardously close to the rapier. She looked quite youthful, an innocent face that was to be scarred in the battle she was being merged into. Her face looked quite familiar, incredibly familiar, but the thought slipped away from him as she looked away.

His eyes had burnt into her own; she wanted to show him that she had no fear, but she did not succeed, she wanted instead to be in the comfort of her mother's arms, the only person to care for her, the only woman that actually cared of her existence.

She swam away from those gloomy thoughts and re-emerged onto the surface of reality. Prodding him on his back with the rapier, she led him to the door. The courtyard was silent; the mercenaries were probably still brawling in the basement. They had finally reached Pantasilea's location, her body still laid unconscious, and her fair hair cluttered all over her face. Bartolomeo ran to his wife's side, brushing her hair from her face with his rough calloused hands.

'Pantasilea? Wake up! You're going to be fine.' He was frantically searching for any sort of injury that he thought Andreina could've laid upon her. Andreina felt no guilt, for once her mind did not at all phase by the sight of fear, an aspect of the task at hand and those that will follow which she had better get used to.

'Now about that information.' Bartolomeo's face was bursting red, trying to hold in the insults for the sake of his wife.

He couldn't harm her, but he couldn't let her harm Pantasilea either. He would be betraying the creed, he couldn't think of any information to counter...but maybe some harmless ones can.

'Fine! You want information? Ezio had a home in Firenze, located near the centre of the city, maybe you can find something there. Ezio's whereabouts, that I do not know. Now leave us be, next time there will be no mercy.' He viciously turned his head around, cradling Pantasilea in his arms, he knew that she would find nothing there as the place was ransacked after Giovanni's alleged betrayal, but he needed to buy time, to mislead her, so that he could inform Ezio.

She needed to fulfil her mission, but her feelings soon washed over her again, just as it had many times before. She stared at her sword; shining in the sunlight as it caught her eyes, making her blink the purple spots out of her vision. Andreina found herself looking at Pantasilea, she felt remorse, she simply couldn't bring this woman on the verge of darkness if Andreina was ever to kill her husband, something she has witnessed first-hand, watching her mother crumble at the absence and longing for the man she had loved. Andreina exhaled noisily and turned her back to the couple. What she was about to do was brave but foolish. She left them both, alive. Riding away, a feeling of dread overcame her, anxiety brewing as she feared what Cesare would bring upon her.


	6. Chapter 6: Delphina

**Hi guys, Cookie here and finally updating Once Loved Never Forgotten, with this lovely new chapter. It's just over 3,000 words (to be exact 3,060). Hopefully this large chapter will fill your empty stomachs, I'm sorry that it was such a long wait, as I had many end of year tests. **

**Moving on, thank you to TinyTeto-Chan for being such a loyal reader, xmmara for giving me lovely advice and to those many others whom have encouraged me to write on. **

**MasterAssassin2012- Many thanks :)**

**Random Freaky Kid- My chapters are finally improving on length, thanks!**

**SnowFallenBattle- Haha, Everybody loves Mario!**

**Misslovely7- Thanks!**

**Darrkarara- Here you go! :) **

**Thank you to those who have placed this into their alerts list and also to those who have favourited it. Now go on ahead and take a read, reviews and constructive criticism are welcome. :)**

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

Roma 1495

He was slumped over his writing desk; papers written in different languages were strewn about, the different words circled in his head giving him a throbbing ache. He rubbed his temples hoping that the pain would soon release him, but instead increased it. He drooped down and hit his forehead onto a document that he was writing on, not even giving the slightest thought of the wet ink imprinting onto his forehead.

After a few moments of casual thinking, Cesare shot up in a flash as the knocking on his office door startled the soul out of him... if he had one. 'Signore, should I let Andreina in now?' The guard had said, Cesare nodding in reply. While the guard marched out into the corridor, the annoying sound of his armour lightly clashing against each other echoed in Cesare's ears. He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Whilst he rubbed off the thick ink on his forehead with his white sleeve, Andreina walked in through the door, scowling at the state of this place. 'I see you like my office.' Cesare replying to her expression, in return she rolled her eyes. He leaned back onto his leather chair tapping his fingers onto the smooth surface of the desk. Repetitively.

Andreina stood there, stopping any sort of hesitation or sign of weakness to be shown. What was she meant to tell him; _oh I'm sorry I forgot to kill him!_ _Or He was a pretty nice fellow, so I let him go!_ _What stupid excuses, the man was threatening to kill me but I still let him go...I'm dead meat _she thought.

'So what of the mission? I have had enough bad news from my men, so this better be good' she looked around the room avoiding his stare, 'I'm waiting...' She took a deep breath hoping to think of a last second answer, 'Bartolo-'she was cut off as Cesare's general, Ramiro d' Orco, interrupted the conversation.

'Cesare, we have great news to bare...we-we have finally found it!' Andreina turned to the man looking at his scarred face in question, _found what? _When she turned back to the desk the chair was empty, Cesare was already out of his seat and pulling on his metal vambraces. When he was about to go through the door he turned around to face Andreina. 'I must take leave for a more serious matter, but Ramiro here will assign you to your new contract, oh and by the time I get back I want full information on your recent contract.' He turned around and quickly walked away.

She turned to Ramiro who had already dropped into Cesare's chair. He was reading some of the strewn documents on the writing desk and piling them up to the side. She stood there infuriated by Ramiro's act of her non-existence in the room. She tapped her foot onto the floorboards grabbing his attention. 'Are you going to stand there and tap your foot all day or do something useful like cleaning or cooking in the kitchens, like every peasant girl is meant to do, perhaps?'

The man was an irritating little weasel. She wanted to rip his eyes out and stab him in the throat, but in the meantime she needed to get on with the contract, 'Tell me the contract now.' She commanded, her eyes glaring at him in the process. He moaned, 'I do not understand why Cesare gets women to do men's jobs.' Andreina broke off his babbling, 'Just tell me now!' Her voice was more deafening than the last.

'A man of the cloth in Firenze has been causing quite a stir; Cesare has sent a few troops of men to obtain it but still no success whatsoever. His name is Girolamo Savonarola. He has something that Cesare wants and is vital in his work; you must obtain it before he comes back to Roma. You are to leave tonight.' Ramiro turned back to the sheet of paper in his hand. Andreina was glowing with excitement, Firenze, the place where the Auditore's quarters were. 'What is the object that I must obtain?' She suddenly asked realising he had not said anything of its description. 'Ah...hmnn well what I can say is that it is a sphere of gold and Rodrigo and Cesare have strictly ordered that if anyone gets a hold of something like that then they must not touch it. I guess Savonarola didn't know about that rule. Now I have had enough of your pestering and bothersome questions, just take the whole contract.' He handed her the sheet and waved his hand for her to leave the room. She happily obeyed and left.

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><p>Firenze 1495<p>

The breezy air was refreshing and unclogged the stench of Rome from her nose and mind. She had never travelled to another city before. A new and mysterious city left in her hands to explore, she was fascinated at how Firenze was a much cleaner place than Rome could be any other day. But still a lingering stench, that smelled of oils and burnt paper, was in the air. Andreina stared into the clear blue sky with a few sprays of pure white clouds; grey smoke was floating into the air like a trail, spoiling the sky in the north. She decided to wander towards the source of the thick smoke, leading her towards a large gathering of people. By the looks of things they were gathering around a large bonfire, chanting a sentence over and over.

'Burn all the books, Devil's charms!' Some people raised their curled fists into the air, while others stood there puzzled. Andreina pushed through the crowds of women and men and stopped at the front. She stared in revulsion as many pages and books were thrown into the bonfire, beautifully detailed paintings burning slowly, the oils of many different colours melting off the scorched canvases and dripping into the wild flames.

Andreina wheezed, standing a few inches away from the bonfire, the dust and smoke clouding and irritating her eyes. While she slowly backed away from the fire, Andreina could hear whispers from nearby people, 'That Savonarola is getting out of hand. I wish the assassino would return to Firenze, that we might be rid of this tyranny.' A feminine voice had said, another replied, 'It's just a myth! A story parents tell their children.' So Savonarola is the lead in this burning Andreina assumed.

'Ouch!' Andreina cursed as she collided with someone. 'Forgive me signora, for this smoke is obscuring my vision. Let me help you.' The voice was light and womanly. Andreina rubbed her eyes trying to clear them from the loitering smoke and ashes. A hand appeared in front of her and she thankfully took it. The woman's hands were rough, unlike her mother's whom where soft to the touch.

'My name is Annetta and as much as I can see through that smoke, you're not from around here, are you?' She asked. 'Si, I have travelled from Roma. I have a few errands and people to visit.' Andreina replied. 'Well before you go off and run your errands, come along with me, away from this contaminated area.' Annetta said gesturing for her to follow.

They walked around corners, alleyways and many different stalls. Until they reached a lovely building wrapped with rose vines and red roses in many different shades. Crimson flags lightly wavering in the breeze. 'Come.' Annetta said before stepping in through the door of the building. Andreina followed and as she stepped in, a strong current of perfume and roses hit her face. The smell stung her nose. She scrunched her face and squeezed her eyes shut, the irritating scent finally exiting her nose.

She opened her eyes and to her slight surprise it was filled with women and men. The women dressed in skin bearing attire, dancing inappropriately in front of the men. It was a brothel. She decided to move on, towards the room that Annetta had entered. The door was placed by the grand stairs; its banisters were entwined with roses, the courtesans throwing petals everywhere and onto the cherry dyed rug. Looking back to the door she went in.

It was the kitchen facility of the brothel, she saw Annetta next to the table pouring water from a metal jug and into a cup. 'Here,' Annetta handed Andreina a cup before pouring one for herself, 'I'm sorry it's just water, all of the wine was used up last night.'

'No, water is fine. Wine is not my best drink.' She thought of the time where Cesare had offered her some wine, she had sipped a little then suddenly spat it out. Cesare chuckled while Rodrigo shook his head. 'As much as we are training you to handle a sword like a man, you must still act like a woman in order to steal men's hearts, before stabbing them with a rapier my dear.' She shook off the memory as Annetta spoke,

'So may I ask what your errands are?' Andreina answered, 'Well maybe you can help me with something. I am looking for the Auditore's residence, but I have no idea as to where it is, do you know of its location?' She saw Annetta furrow her forehead for a second before answering, 'Si, it is in the San Giovanni district, near the centre of the city. Why is it of importance?'

'Well, I have heard stories and rumours that it was the place the assassino Ezio Auditore had lived before the tragic incident. I thought I could see the place for myself.' Andreina said, anticipating that Annetta would believe her story. 'Oh, well the stories you hear are true and the residence will be easily spotted as many guards are stationed around it and the Auditore emblem is still draped on the walls of the Palazzo.' Annetta said, remembering the warm memories she had. Petruccio's giggles, Ezio boasting on about the amount of women he had slept with, but one memory she treasured the most...Federico's smile. She flashed out of her mind as Andreina placed the cup onto the counter.

'_Grazie_ Annetta, you have a kind heart, but before I leave I have one last question, what brings you to work in a brothel?' Andreina questioned, she was curious if Annetta was a courtesan herself, but her clothes covered most of her skin unlike the women she had seen near the entrance. 'I used to work as a maid for a family, but they had left the city, so I work as a maid here. My sister owns the brothel, her name's Paola; maybe you two will meet while you're here in Florence,' She smiled at Andreina, Andreina returning one back.

Later on, she stepped out of the door, but before she set another foot onto the ground, Annetta shouted out, 'Wait, I forgot to ask of your name!' Andreina turned around, 'My-my name is Delphina.' The very first name she could think of other than hers. The name had come from one of her mother's closest friend's before she died. 'Goodbye Delphina, may we meet again.' Annetta waved as Andreina walked on.

Andreina wandered around the streets of Florence trying to find the San Giovanni District, but there was no luck. She decided to rest for a little on a nearby bench, while she walked towards the seat, a man ran into her, 'Sorry piccola signora.' He had said and disappeared into the crowds of people. She suddenly felt a little lighter and checked her belt. _Cazzo!_ That stupid thief, he had stolen all the florins that she had owned, she looked back towards the path he had taken and decided to follow. Andreina cursed again, he had vanished, not a single trace of the man. She turned right into a dark alleyway, it was damp and mouldy, small insects and creatures crawled in and out of the cracked tiling of the ground, Water dripped down from the rotten posts that connected the buildings above her.

She was brought to a halt as a masculine figure blocked her way; he was shadowed by the buildings, but could see that half his face was covered by a scarf. She kept her distance keeping her eyes on the hostile looking man. She slowly stepped backwards, the man seeing her movement slowly took a step forward. She saw him take something from his hip and into his right hand, a small object that ended with a sharp tip. Andreina held the handle of her sword waiting for him to make the first move, but before she could step back any further, she had bumped into a tall stature man. His face was also partly covered by a scarf, tatty and the threads starting to part from each other, before she could describe anymore facial features, he had swiftly pushed her and yielded a dagger. He held her against a damp wall, the dagger only a few millimetres away from her neck.

'Where is your money?!' His voice was coarse and deep. This was just her luck; she was starting to feel as if Florence didn't want her. 'I said, where is your mo-' Andreina smashed her head against his; he staggered backwards his hand placed on his bleeding forehead. His colleague ran towards her the dagger pointing straight towards her stomach, she rolled to the right, the man bumping into the wall. He turned to her and lifted the blade above her; thrust it down towards her, grazing her forehead before she could react. Andreina kicked his kneecap, a loud snap echoed in the alleyway, the bandit yelled in pain and fell on his back.

The other bandit, finally regaining his mind turned to Andreina and dived towards her. She unsheathed her sword, dodged his attack and plunged the sword into his ribcage. He stumbled towards her, the dagger slipping out of his hand and splashed into a shallow, murky puddle. She pushed the dead corpse off of her, his body thudding to the ground.

Andreina turned the man over on his back in order to retrieve her burgundy coated sword. She wiped it clean with the man's scarf and placed it back into its cover. She looked at the bandit's face, he was young looked about twenty, his cheekbones were high and his eyes a dark brown. She walked over to the other man who was groaning on the floor, he suddenly yelled as dark red blood flowed in the cracks of the tiles next to his face, the source of the blood coming from his deceased comrade. She kneeled down next to the horror-stricken pickpocket and sliced his neck with his own dagger.

She stared at his face, olive skin, green eyes and fair hair. She took a pouch of florins from his pocket and tied it into her belt. Andreina then held the man's shoulder sleeves and dragged him into the nearest well, which was around the corner of the alleyway, she checked if the street was cleared of people and carried on to drag the heavy burden towards the water source. She leaned him onto the wall of the well, the stench was strong and she looked down the never ending hole and saw some shallow water.

Andreina turned back to the body and pushed him in, she returned to the alley way for the next body but before she set foot, an ear piercing cry ricocheted on the walls. A woman stood on the other side of the pathway and saw Andreina's grey silhouette, 'Guards, Guards!' She repeatedly said her finger pointing at Andreina. _Merda_, she ran to her right leading to another passageway and ran through it. She stood still as the strong rays of light blinded her.

Regaining her vision, her mind started spinning. She had killed people, the adrenaline pumped through her veins, but a feeling of guilt made her head spin.

_Why should she carry a heavy heart_, Andreina thought, they were about to kill her. Never ending thoughts were running through her head. She looked down at her body, her sleeves dyed in red and her boots lightly sprayed with dried blood. The street was nearly cleared empty, no guards and a minimum amount of people. Andreina searched the buildings, looking for a nearby tavern to wash off. After a few more blocks of buildings, she had finally found an Inn. Walking in, she booked a room for the night, placing the stolen florins on the counter, trying her best to hide her blood crusted sleeves; she was lead into her room. 'Please enjoy your stay.' The kind lady said closing the door behind her.

Andreina washed her sleeves down, the water in the pale turning into a light rosy pink. Looking out the window, the sun was starting to lower. Andreina yawned, how quick the day had been, so she called it a day.

Meanwhile, at La Rosa Colte, Paola had just come back from a meeting with La Volpe, 'Good evening Annetta, did you handle the brothel well today?' She asked her sister, who was sitting down exhausted from her day of work. Annetta turned to look at her sister and smiled, 'Si, but that Girolamo is poisoning the streets, oh how I wish Ezio would return.' She turned back to the fireplace that crackled and lightened the room. 'La Volpe has said that the tyrant will hopefully be rid of soon,' She paused and changed the subject, 'the courtesans are saying that a new girl will be joining the business, is that true?'

'Ah, they must have been talking about my visitor. I had stumbled upon her during one of those bonfires; she travelled all the way from Roma, quite a long trip, so I offered her a drink here at the brothel.' Annetta said.

Paola was suspicious. Hardly anyone from Roma visited Firenze; the recent visit was from Cesare's troops. 'Did, she say what her business was here in Firenze?' Paola asked. 'Yes, she was looking for the Auditore's Palazzo; she wanted proof that the assassino Ezio was real.' Annetta chuckled. 'One last question, did she say her name?'

Annetta replied, 'Her name was Delphina.' Paola thanked her and bid her goodnight, she decided to tell La Volpe of this mysterious Delphina tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7: Rumour Has It

**Hello guys, Cookie here and boy it's sure been a long time since I last updated this story! I want to apologize for my lack of updating for such a long period of time. I had planned to discontinue Once Loved but I hate leaving things unfinished. **

**I'll try my best to update the story but I can't promise a solid schedule for updates. My aim is at least once a week and hopefully I'll achieve that. I also want to say sorry in advance, I'm unsure about my writing levels (I hope it's improved since the last chapter!), so expect any grammatical and spelling errors ahead. I've tried my best proofreading, but I may have left a few uncorrected. **

**Any sort of feedback would be great, well unless it's the purely concentrated mean stuff, any constructive feedback and comments would be great!**

**Thanks to MarmaldePsychosis for giving such lovely comments which encouraged me to (hopefully be able to) finish this story :)**

**So, here's the next chapter!**

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

Firenze 1495

Paola awoke in the early morning, just a little before the sun started to seep above the land; she had worn her typical colours, a red dress which floated around her as she walked. Her dark hair was adorned with pearls but was obscured by her crimson cape that hidden her features in a shadow.

The sky was still dark; a hint of red had spread through as the sun was beginning to rise. Most houses were filled with darkness, while others had dim lanterns that hung above their doors. Firenze was mostly bare of its residents, a rare few walking around gathering items and preparing for the busy hours of the day. As she glided through alleyways and streets she had finally found his place of residence. It was hidden in the shadows, shabby wood and light brown cloth hung amongst the random rafts, the stone pavement was dark from the constant dampness and scraps of burnt wood were strewn around the edges of the buildings. The buildings formed in a 'U', nearly square formation which further hid the already well concealed Thieves' Guild.

She knocked on the door and patiently waited for the man himself to appear.

'Hello? May I ask who you are and what you are doing here?' A young man had opened the door, his hair dishevelled, a sign of his recent waking, he yawned as Paola spoke, 'I am sorry for interrupting your slumber, but I have a few important matters to speak with Gilberto,' The boy looked confused, 'La Volpe?' She corrected. 'Oh_ si, mi dispiace_, we hardly address him by his true name due to his well known image amongst the city,' She smiled and nodded, 'Right please, come in, I'll inform him of your presence.' He turned around and walked further into the corridor, after a few minutes a figure had finally appeared.

They welcomed each other with a smile as La Volpe spoke, 'It is wonderful seeing you again Paola, but why do you come at such an hour? Surely your matters aren't of such dire urgency?' Paola replied, 'I know but I had to catch you before you'd vanish for who knows how long. Last time I had to wait a whole month for your return, where do you go?'

Gilberto simply grinned and tapped his nose, 'I have all the time in the world, I've heard rumours from around the city that I'm immortal.' They both chuckled as he continued, 'Well please follow me, we can speak of the matters in my office.'

Unlike the outer appearance of the building his office was adorned with expensive material that hung loose on the walls, rich rugs were placed on the floor and an expensive wooden desk positioned near the centre of the room. 'Please take a seat. Now what is the issue you wish to inform me of?' He asked taking a sip from his simple and metal cup, 'Beverage?' Paola responded as she shook her head, 'No, but _grazie_.' He nodded and waved his hand for her to continue. 'Annetta had told me of a certain visitor in Firenze coming from Roma.'

'Although unusual it is not impossible, many come in and out from Firenze, what makes this one so special?' La Volpe interrupted. 'Let me finish. The young woman had asked questions of the Auditore's Palazzo, asking about Ezio. I may be too suspicious in suspecting something strange going on, but with the recent events, anything is possible, _si_?' She asked as reassurance, Giovanni Auditore had saved her in her darkest time, she could never fully repay him for rescuing not only her but Annetta too, the least she could do was look out for his only remaining son Ezio.

'You may be too obsessive Paola; Ezio is well known for his womanizing, maybe this-what's her name?' Paola replied, 'Annetta had only received her first name, it was Delphina.'

'This woman, Delphina may have had a "_brief_" encounter with our young assassin, with the Auditore family being such a major topic amongst the chatter of the city, the news may have spread to other cities.' He simply explained taking another sip from his cup.

Annetta looked troubled, his reassurances had failed in satisfying her and she felt something was strange about this visitor. Seeing her brows furrow, Gilberto spoke, 'I trust your judgement Paola, and seeing this trouble you largely I will try my best to find information on this Delphina. Do your part too and see if Annetta could find her again, bring her back to the brothel if possible. I will try to find her at the palazzo, seeing as she seemed so curious of the area.'

'Yes, _grazie_ Gilberto, contact me if anything is found.' She smiled and gracefully left La Volpe's residence and headed back to the brothel as the streets were beginning to wake.

Andreina had thanked the kind lady who owned the lodgings and bid her farewell, it was foolish of Andreina for being so unprepared, wandering the streets till dark was not safe and travelling to Firenze without a map or knowledge of the city was yet another thoughtless and idiotic move. She slapped her head at her irrational actions, _at least I'm still alive, I found a place to stay didn't I?_ She asked herself although knew very well that the next time she may not be so lucky.

She decided wandering the city was not such a safe or smart idea, maybe Annetta could help. But had soon wiped away the thought as she realized due to her unobservant behaviour she had forgotten the way back to the brothel Annetta resided in.

Looking around, a few people were walking, some looking at items placed on stall tables and others were simply chatting. She had spotted two children running around their mother as she carried food in her arms. '_Scusi signora_, may I ask for help, I'm new to the city.' She turned and smiled, 'Are you lost?'

'_Si_, I am heading to the San Giovanni District.' Andreina answered. 'Oh that's the district where the Auditores used to live, good thing they were finally found out for their corruptions against the city. Nobles like_ them_ carry wealth and art, evil, devil's doing.' Andreina nodded along, the mother's words sounded familiar, chants from the day before pulsed in her head, the image of bonfire made of books and paintings flashed as a reminder.

The news of corruption within the Auditore family had added coal to the flame of Savonarola's teachings, pushing more to join him in his plight to rid the world of its _"evils"_. Andreina mentally exhaled, she was related by blood to the notorious family. A small amount of doubt had slipped into her mind, and it was unjust that she treated the rest of the Auditores for Mario's individual part in the death of her mother. Her mind was breaking again, the morals her mother had taught her and the hatred that sat within her conflicted.

_No, they were corrupt and betrayed the city. They're foul, just. Like. Him._

Andreina decided that the subject of the Auditore family was insignificant compared to her interest on the imperative subject of her father. She had decided to make use of the old house of the Auditore family, hoping that she may find at least a sliver of information on her father as Cesare had not even given the slightest information of Mario Auditore. Andreina sighed knowing full well that Cesare's lack in fulfilling his side of the deal was due to her failure in carrying out the mission he had assigned to her previously.

The woman had rambled into the subject of how the almighty Savonarola was leading them to the light, a better world. Impatience had bubbled up inside of her and quickly cut into the woman's antics, 'I am sorry to interrupt such a wonderful subject but I am in a rush,' The woman's eyes had widened at Andreina's slightly harsh tone, her children giggling in the background as they chased each other, 'Oh-well yes, just carry on the wide street behind you until you reach an archway, turn onto the right path and the first path to the left, carry on going and you'll soon be in the right area.' Andreina quickly thanked her and turned, not noticing the hissed insults under the mother's breath that were aimed at her impolite interruption in the middle of such an important subject.

The sun had started to rise higher into the sky; Andreina predicted it would be midday in a few hours as she followed the lady's directions. The alleyways had slightly lightened and the shadows forced to stick to the edges of the buildings as the sun reached through the exceedingly narrow areas. Faces blurred past her, bumping into her as they were too occupied within their own troubles to notice.

She had finally reached a wide and open area, bustling with people in colourful garments, chattering in circles or strolling through admiring jewellery and items of decadence that were placed within stalls. She walked in further, as she walked past the crowds of social men and women; she felt eyes brush over her. Whispers of her attire and how "_masculine_" she looked in what was considered as men's clothing, mutters of disapproval on her sword that although was partially hidden beneath her coat, was still visible beside her hip. The other areas had not seemed to mind her attire but they may have been too engaged with their own matters to notice the woman that dressed in a way that was considered an anomaly in society.

Self consciousness was starting to weave within her stomach, she mentally slapped herself as she thought of how indiscreet she was, although she countered herself with the fact that her attire was much more practical to move in than a heavy, inadequate dress.

As a child she remembered how she would always do things that she thought would've made her mother happy permanently, but no matter what she did, even when her mother smiled or laughed her eyes would always be distant. Gloomy and filled with an overbearing sorrow which Andreina could never wipe away. In return, knowing her mother would never recover from the permanent scarring of her past, Andreina had given up trying to please her mother, and instead followed her wishes to hold a sword.

Even with the lessons of sword fighting and range of weapons, no matter how skilled she became with the sharp metals, she never succumbed to hitting or even partially wounding her sparring partner, which earned a huff of annoyance from her instructor, Cesare and Rodrigo. _How could Cesare give her a contract when he was well aware of her hesitance to fulfil the final blow to end her opponent?_ She brushed the thought off, a hidden pride had surfaced and refused to accept the faults in her training and her combat, but another part of her knew better.

She had walked through the streets and decided that she ask yet another for assistance, '_Perdonatemi_, but can I ask where the Palazzo Auditore resides?' The man's attire was rich in colour and his fingers which were clasped in front of him were garnished with trinkets of gold. His eyes had scanned the mysterious woman warily, noticing the sheath which lay by her side and her attire. 'What sort of woman clothes in such an unflattering way? Dressing the way you are now you will never be able to find a suitable suitor.' He huffed, not threatened by the obvious weapon that he had seen before. Andreina simply stared at him, no one had ever commented on her appearance back in Roma, but that was mostly due to the fact that she was well known to have relations with the Borgia family, a family that was growing in a positive reputation amongst the dwellers of the city.

'I simply ask for the whereabouts of the palazzo Auditore, tell me and I will be on my way,' She had replied, disregarding his previous comment, 'A rude mouth too, you certainly won't be getting my help.' Her lips formed into a thin line, her eyebrows furrowed and placed her hands on her hips, the foul man had mistaken it as a move to unsheathe her weapon and shouted, 'Guards, this woman carries a weapon, she's threatening to kill me!' Many had turned to watch the commotion unravel not surprised to see the armed woman, but faces of concern held for the man.

A troop of four city guards had grown suspicious and kept a watchful eye on Andreina, but as the man shouted accusations pointing to her they had moved closer and closer to the disruptive scene. A city guard pulled on her shoulder, he had assumed that a woman was no threat against their mild supply of weapons and all guards collected around her at a close distance.

Andreina had recognized their uniforms, city guards of Firenze, she wondered if they still held loyalty to the late Medici ruler, or if they had been brought under the recent leader Girolamo Savonarola. 'You are troubling a civilian of the city, threatened to kill him. That can lead to a punishment of imprisonment or worse.' He said noting the fact that not only was the annoying man an unarmed civilian but was a rich one too. 'I had not threatened him whatsoever, I simply asked him for directions.'

'Liar! She moved to unsheathe her weapon I saw _mi amici_ can approve of that.' Behind him his friends had nodded and muttered in agreement. The guards turning back towards Andreina made a move to detach her weapon from her side, smacking their hands away in response. The men frowned at her, aggravated by the move.

The Borgia's power had not yet fully controlled Firenze even with the small amount of troops Cesare had brought in, their determination to achieve full power of Italia still in its early ages. As the Borgia's had no power over them which ruled out the obvious statement that her allegiance and relation to the highly placed family could not help her escape, her mind strained to find a reason. The armed men grew impatient and carried on with the separation between her and her weapon. Holding her by the shoulders they pulled her away from the now smirking man, '_Stronzo_.' She muttered, the guards showing no sign of hearing her.

The guards had split; one accompanied her while the other three had moved back to their station. She boiled as the guards had disregarded her of being such a threat, the guard not even chaining her hands but simply held firmly on her shoulder and his other carrying her sword by his side. Contemplating her plan of escape she noticed a building which was draped in an emblem, a shield of a golden yellow and red displayed on the walls of the separate building. She had heard the guard mumbling and asked of its history, 'That building used to belong to the Auditore family, before everything had spiralled downwards for them. The only son left, Ezio, still roams the city, an assassin,' He said, his interest showing through his words, 'Do you believe that the family was corrupt?' Her friendly tone and distracting questions had caused his hand to instinctively loosen on her shoulder as the guard found her increasingly harmless.

'Ah you're not from around here are you? Well I believed they were innocent, I knew their reputation, Giovanni was a kind man, I'd often hear stories from the people he had assisted, my sister included,' He smiled, wrinkles appearing at the corner of his eyes as if remembering a certain memory, 'I believe in my sister's words, and with the way her life has turned, I owe the Auditores my faith in their innocence.' He stared at the old palazzo of the family, Andreina saw the true faith he shown towards the Auditores and her hatred slightly wavered as she saw the conviction spread on the man's face. Andreina's opportunity had literally slipped by; she memorized certain buildings and paths hoping that when she had the chance she would be able to carry on with her search for information.

He walked on as he spoke fondly of his sister and her family, his wishes that his children would grow up to become successful and how he detested the uprising caused by the outlandish friar and his words. She nodded along, smiling every once in a while. Unlike her previous and most recent conversations, the guard did not radiate with arrogance and like Andreina had shared a hatred for the recent burnings of books and art and the man behind it all. Silence had enveloped the pair as they walked on. His voice had broken the silence moments later,

'For a person who carries a sword, I would assume you had skill in combat. So why have you not escaped from my grasp yet? I simply hold you by the shoulder, I'm prone to any hit you take,' He had said, bringing her attention away from memorizing buildings and paths as a way to familiarize herself with the area. 'I don't know I plan to, not to harm you though, just to escape.' He smiled at her straightforward answer, 'what you were accused of was something that could have been dismissed instantly; it was your attitude towards the guards which pushed them to arrest you. Punish you for your disobedience is what they said.'

'From what I've witnessed you don't seem to be the type to hurt a man, not intentionally anyways,' her lips pursed at the man's obliviousness, 'my shift's nearly over and the cells are located on the opposite end of the city. To see a person other than a guard carry such a noticeably large weapon is sure to attract attention. Next time I suggest you try to fit in with the fashion of the majority of the women in the city.'

'I will try to follow that next time, _grazie_. But _per favore_ may I?' She waved her hand at her sword, the guards fingers still wrapped around it. 'Ah _si_, now be on your way, I hope that I won't see you again in such circumstances.'_ I couldn't promise anything_. She beamed and thanked him before turning back towards the way she came.

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><p>He stood there and scanned the area; he had already inspected the surrounding perimeter of the old building but to no avail. He couldn't see a single figure that seemed the slightest bit interested in the empty house, and so he had walked around aimlessly in the shadows hoping to find at least a small amount of information. Conversations threaded through his mind as he eavesdropped, making sure to keep an eye out for any individual that seemed of significance.<p>

He had thought to give up his searches for the day when three guards had started to move as their shifts had changed, La Volpe's attention had been taken by the guards' interesting conversation. 'That girl should be punished for her disobedience, especially against a guard, a protector of the city,' one had said, the others muttered under their breath and nodded in agreement, 'that woman was lucky she hadn't pulled out her blade.' He hissed as he walked further away with his comrades babbling on incoherently, soon disappearing into the sea of citizens.

La Volpe's interest had peaked; maybe Paola had been onto something. This couldn't seem like a mere coincidence, coincidences were something of a rarity especially in the world of assassins. He walked further into the areas densely filled with circles of men and women, knowing that the subject which involved the disruptive woman would be spewed in at least a few of the gossip-loving residents.

'That girl couldn't be from around the area right? She dressed so strangely, what sort of area do you think she came from?' Information was already being absorbed by La Volpe, a man replying to the probing woman, 'Probably a rough area, a woman who carries a sword is a woman who lives in danger, and I heard the woman was asking for directions so she was most likely new around here.'

'Rumour has it that she had threatened to behead signore Luciano due to his wife apparently cheating with her husband,' La Volpe chuckled at the outlandish story, 'It's good the guards took her in, someone with such a behaviour doesn't belong in our society. So unpredictable.' The woman had carried on with her daft anecdotes of the recent happenings.

_She had been taken away? Had she already visited the palazzo?_ La Volpe had spread some of his thieves around the area, hoping that they may at least have found something of worth which linked to the mysterious newcomer. But before turning away and heading for the path which would lead him to his quarters, a small figure had caught his attention. The figure was average height, but their movements didn't seem to belong to a man, too careful and light. The women and men who were deep in their daily conversations had turned to look at the figure, their faces holding a judging and wary stare. It's most likely her. La Volpe was never the brash type unlike Ezio's head on impulsive attitudes which attracted a great deal of unwanted attention, La Volpe tailed the small figure, she had headed closer to the palazzo, showing more interest in the building than any others that walked within the area.

A few guards were stationed on the rooftops, some placed in the corners of the street, but with the bustling crowds, the girl had simply walked in, she had earned a few alarmed and inquisitive looks. But the staring socialites had instead turned to natter of the recent scene, likely conjuring up another rumour to liven up the conversations with a newfound subject.

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><p>Andreina inhaled as she entered through the front of the palazzo. It was like a courtyard, a few benches sat along the walls, vines grew on the walls, slightly yellow from neglect. Her vision slightly blurred with greys and blues, so she rubbed her eyes and blamed the slight lack of light inside. Right ahead was a dark wooden door; within it laid the history of the once ordinary lives of the Auditores, secrets and information that could reveal at least something worthy for her.<p>

She shivered as she felt an unfamiliar presence. The palazzo which had once housed a live family was now left empty and bare, its owners now dead or driven away. Andreina shuddered at the thought of a ghostly presence, but impatience had pushed her to enter, she had taken quite a long period of time trying to reach her destination and she couldn't turn away now.


	8. Chapter 8: Welcome Recluta

**Hello lovelies, Cookie again and just wanted to say wow so much for my target of posting once a week, it's been ages and my reason is just the usual demons against fanficiton, homework, tests and life in general. I did warn you that I couldn't promise a solid schedule, I've been recently reading a few stories based in AC1 and I was reminded to carry on with my story.**

**I apologize and admit that my chapters are very slow in the development of the overall story line, so hopefully right now I'm trying to speed it up. Length in this isn't too shabby, in my opinion anyways, but writer's block caught up with me again and full deletions of drafts happened and the struggle was real bro. **

**I warn you all again my writing skills aren't exactly expert, I tried my best to proofread and correct mistakes but you may see some along the way, it's always hard to proofread your own writing isn't it? (if it isn't for you, I envy you, you lucky kid.) **

**Right stop with the rambling, hope you like it and any sort of constructive feedback would be loved!**

**Oh and also if you have the time, can I ask whether the certain Italian parts are needed for translation, most of them aren't full phrases just single words heard in game and just swears but if needed I can list them at the start of the chapter. I'm still improving my writing skill and all of you are such great help :)**

**P.S sorry if anyone had double notifications on the updating of this story! I removed it due to another mistake found within it and as a perfectionist it was annoying me, sorry again!**

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

Firenze 1495

La Volpe observed the young woman, her attire which far more resembled of men's clothes, they did not scream wealth but her sword did. Although hidden by her cloak it gleamed as it hit the sunlight due to her movements. He looked at the strange detailing, no, it was a symbol which marked the upper area of the sword. But before he could name the familiarity of it, it had disappeared along with her as she entered Ezio's home. He decided to give a message for his thieves and soon as his message spread, eyes all over Firenze would be focused on her. He left her to carry on with her own targets, as leaving her to carry on with her own tasks would allow him to find information on this woman's purposes with ease and stealth.

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><p>She had walked into the dim residence, although dark, sunlight from the far windows allowed furnishings and colours to be visible. The space was decorated with rich colours and warm woods, doors lined the right and left walls and a grand staircase lead to the upper floors. The building was empty, devoid of warmth and the normal noises of an active family, the floorboards creaked under her feet as if the house cried for the family it once held home for. She carried on with her actions opening and shutting doors trying to find a study, she assumed most important documents and information would be held in a room of business. She had shut the door to a disrupted dining room, the table in the middle tipped on its side. She thought of the memories held by each room, the sound of laughter and visions of smiles which once echoed throughout the house, a sign of a happy and content family, a complete family.<p>

Shaking deep thoughts out, she carried on until the room which she had been looking for was finally opened. It had the usual furnishings of a study, the grand desk and chair was placed in the middle, a fireplace on the side and shelves of books adorned the walls. Andreina walked over and pulled the curtains open, light released and spread, dust particles floated within the warm beams and Andreina moved over to the desk. Opening and closing the drawers she found letters and information on Giovanni Auditore's business a few letters adorned her father's name but none holding even a slither of information on his whereabouts. _Cesare that hard headed stronzo!_ She cursed to herself and at the man that held such information from her, if she had not failed or if he wasn't such a stronzo she wouldn't have had to suffer the hardship of finding the stupid Auditore home. Her patience was growing thin and as she continued to scan the letters, she mentally exhaled a breath of relief; a smile appeared on her face as she found a letter which finally contained good information.

It was marked with his calligraphy, Mario's writing was messy but readable, the letter asked of simple things such as the family's recent events and accomplishments, but reading further on he addressed a location.

_Giovanni, perhaps when we are not busy with our work you can bring the whole familia over and stay at the Auditore Palazzo. I can take the children out to learn how to ride a horse and see the sights of Tuscany far more beautiful than the common sights of Firenze. I hope I may see you all soon, -Mario_

She delicately placed the letter back into the drawer; she shut it and stood up, leaving the whole building as fast as possible. Her vision was hazy from her fast actions and caused her vision to haze, black spots appeared and grey and blue clouds floated in her vision. The outside air invaded her nose and cleared out the heavy atmosphere of dust from within the Auditore Palazzo. She couldn't dwell on a location within Tuscany, so for the moment she aimed her path back into the smoke and chants which polluted Firenze by the tyrannical friar. The sun was beginning to lower; time had flown by quickly as she sifted through the piles of letters. She smiled as her mental image of Firenze had improved; her paths were able to be memorized by the monuments she passed as she walked through the same areas.

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><p>La Volpe had waited for her to reappear out of the old residence, her face visible for him to see. Her dark hair was braided away from her face, plain and slightly pale complexion, her eyes were green and a small but noticeable scar had formed on her forehead. He tailed her, watching the woman with curiosity and suspicion as she walked down the street, her face stuck in concentration as she eyed the buildings, forcing a map into her head.<p>

She seemed to be taking a path back into the riots held by Savonarola, a path close to La Rosa Colta, Paola's brothel. La Volpe moved forward, he trusted his thieves to take care of his job; he carried on towards Paola's headquarters to report of his findings.

"Paola," She was tending to the large group of roses, she smiled as she turned to face him, "I have found Delphina, and she appears to me, from my opinion, more than a woman who had _brief_ relations with Ezio. She wears a sword upon her attire, masculine clothing too. It seems rather suspicious but nothing more to accuse of her being in relation with the Borgias or the Templars." His eyebrows furrowed as he thought more deeply, "It is still suspicious a woman with a sword to be so curious of the Auditores especially after everything that has happened," Paola replied her lips pursed, worrying about the safety of the Auditore family, "Perhaps she was hired? Maybe she is a hired killer or a mercenary."

La Volpe answered, "She did not seem to carry anything out with her, and I believe she was looking for something. I did see her sword, very fine and well made, it had a marking upon it close to the handle. Maybe it has a relation to where or who she associates with, have you received anymore from Annetta or the girls?" Paola nodded at him, "Annetta spoke of her attire surprised by such irregular wear for a woman, but apart from that she has nothing else of importance. Grazie La Volpe, my sister has offered to keep an eye out for her see if she can take her back here. Annetta believes she is harmless, but I think different. Please keep an eye out for her, for now she is not of trouble, Ezio and his family are busy and safe elsewhere." La Volpe nodded in agreement and left. Although Delphina was a new subject of interest other pressing matters awaited him in the headquarters.

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><p>The bonfire was still going, Andreina smiled at her new found knowledge of the streets of Firenze, although still a struggle she had managed to return to the billowing fire and dense crowds. She watched as more paintings and books were placed onto the fire, listening into the crowds she caught onto pieces of Savonarola. "Where is Savonarola himself?" one asked as another replied, "He is busying himself with the fight against Firenze's tyrants, the city leaders; he is trying to encourage them to cleanse themselves and cleanse the city of its evils." The other spoke in return, "He will be here; he must be as I saw him in the earlier hours of the bonfire."<p>

Andreina shook her head, where should she find the man if he won't appear? Another man spoke a hushed tone, "Savonarola is our light in this world of evil." Andreina had decided it was enough; no more valuable information was gained except for beliefs of Savonarola being the next light of the world or a reincarnation of some sort. Walking into the outskirts of the gathering crowds, to find more view in an open space, cheers and applause roared as a figure appeared behind the wavering flames.

"My good people of Firenze, I welcome you into the arms of the lord as you cleanse yourselves of the sins that walk upon this world. We are surrounded by treacherous things called art and music, to enjoy these pieces of evil; you dirty yourselves and fall into the hands of Hell! Here let us cleanse ourselves, burn the devil's instruments!" The Puritan maniac cried while roars of applause grew louder cheering on the movement. Andreina felt relief; she had spent so much trouble on her personal finds that her patience and energy ran thin, too thin to venture out into Firenze to find the man. Instead he stood right in front of her; she needed to obtain an orb from him, something golden. _Hypocrite, he speaks of wealth and riches as evils but yet he has been said to carry a ball of gold with him._

Neither of his hands held her target, she needed to come closer to him, but the crowds although useless, were dangerous in numbers. They were loyal to him; they were his shield and his weapons. She needed him isolated, her patience was at a low but such a perfect opportunity couldn't be missed.

She stood for a certain number of minutes, before walking round the crowds looking for a pathway, his exit, anything that would allow her to close the gap between her and the friar. His speech at some point had finally finished, his words were simple repeats of evil, burning and the word of his beliefs and his rules. Savonarola had started to walk off the wooden platform walking away into the alleyway behind him. A group of men surrounded him, spoke to him and kept the civilians at a distance.

He wasn't going to be left alone anytime soon and for that Andreina cursed. More work for her to do, but cursed again as she knew what she was getting herself into, _this is what you wanted was it not?_ Andreina's heart beat and pulsed through her ribcage, she thought of ways to distract him or separate his group. _He must carry it around with him, right? Where else would he leave it, if the Borgias wanted it, the orb must be of great value._

She walked ahead of them turning into an alleyway which would cross their path; she slipped out a weapon, a smoke bomb. Maybe it would grant her enough time to find the orb within his cloak; questions ran through her mind, thinking of ways to escape. A few of the men that surrounded him carried weapons, groups still followed him but most had stayed behind with the bonfire. Her heart rate increased as she watched them head closer, she raised her arm that held the smoke bomb, Andreina aimed for the floor they would step on. She exhaled and-

"You're not very wise are you?" A rough hand held her wrist, keeping her from throwing the small bomb, she cursed as she attempted to wiggle her wrist out of the tight grasp, her hand had unsheathed her sword while she forced her body to twist round and threaten the man with her sword. She hissed as his grasp held her wrist stronger, with her limb held in place her body couldn't rotate fully and Andreina yelped in pain, her shoulder sending a shrill of pain throughout her body.

The other hand that held her sword was quickly blocked as she was distracted by the agonizing throb in her trapped arm; her sword was ripped out of her hand and held against her own neck. "Who the hell are you?" She hissed as both arms were held against her will. "I do not know what you were planning to do but if you were planning to kill that tyrant I would believe you were wishing death upon yourself."

"I am trained well enough to kill the unarmed fool and his band of worshipping lunatics!" Her mouth was covered as the large group trailed past them, the shadow of the building providing cover. "I doubt that you have been trained, to jump straight into the fight with no regard of your surroundings is a sure way to die," She was about to retaliate but he continued on, "One of his loyal followers have archers and guards situated in the area that he walks upon. If you were well trained you would've seen these plans beforehand." Her eyebrows furrowed in anger, he questioned her skill and anger boiled within her. She glared at the tall man, his blue eyes were cold as he focused and glared at her sword which dug into her neck, his lips pursed in irritation.

He removed his hand from her wrist taking the smoke bomb but kept her sword upon her own neck. "Just be grateful, I saved your life. You're welcome." He simply answered before dropping the sword and bomb in front of her. Coughing and wafting the smoke away he had vanished, she picked her sword up and looked at the ground. _That stronzo, he wasted one of my bombs!_

* * *

><p>La Volpe sat at his desk, his eyes weary from reading files upon files on recent happenings all over Italia. The foreign woman that roamed Firenze as reported by some of his thieves seemed harmless throughout the rest of the day, heading down towards the bonfires and simply watched the tyrant Girolamo and his preaching for a lengthy amount of time. "Pietro come in, take a seat." La Volpe said as the young man walked in. "So what news do you have of Delphina?" La Volpe asked as Pietro looked at him with question, "Delphina is the name of the woman, according from the information I received."<p>

"Ah si, after Girolamo finished she tailed him. Foolish girl was about to attack with archers and guards in the area, as well as the large groups of men that swarmed around the lunatic like a king." La Volpe was intrigued for Pietro's next answer, "About to attack? What made her stop?"

Pietro's expression was neutral as he answered, "I believe from my perspective she realized Girolamo's influence by the large numbers that protected him." La Volpe nodded in acceptance, believing his lie, "Well from what you have said, this has broadened her reasons as to why she is in the city. We know she has an interest with the Auditore family and now she has some reason against Girolamo Savonarola."

Pietro replied, "I have another observation to report. You mentioned her sword decorated with a symbol, I saw it. It was a cross. I do not know the meaning but it may be of importance." La Volpe provided him the materials to draw it, his guess on the cross were proven by the sketch. Pietro saw La Volpe's brows furrow in worry his lips thinned as he was deep in thought.

Looking up La Volpe thanked the young man as he took the drawing and placed it within the piles of papers on his desk, "I believe training starts tomorrow, a welcome gift is in need," La Volpe handed Pietro a gift wrapped in leather, "You are one of the most skilled thieves within our group, I believe with a different level of training your skills will be at their highest." Pietro placed the cold metal onto his arm, tightening the bracer with the straps, he flicked his wrist. A shining blade appeared from within the bracer.

"Welcome _recluta._"

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><p><strong>Rare AN right here, I don't really do a note at the end of a chapter but I just wanted to say that _recluta_ means recruit in Italian if you didn't know (if you did, sorry for the pointless point out)**

**Also I thought that adding more different P. would liven up the single strand P.O.V with Andreina. **

**I also added another new OC to shake it up, didn't want to ruin the surprise in the first A/N but here you go. You will be seeing more of Pietro in the coming chapters and hopefully if I speed up we can get to Mario and Ezio and all the conflicting Assassin and Templar jazz.**


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